Talking Robots is a series of podcasts featuring interviews with high-profile professionals in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for an inside view on the science, technology, and business of intelligent robotics.

I am particularly into the interview about Energy Autonomy by Chris Melhuish.

Whether for your iPod or robot, we all crave for a better energy autonomy. Batteries, solar panels and gas tanks are the usual, but what if machines could digest bugs or waste to get on the move? Chris Melhuish presents the fly-eating EcoBot, artificial gills for underwater robots and the technology behind Microbial Fuel Cells. The question now is whether these robots will be begging for food or capable of autonomously foraging for it in their environment (SlugBot). So… why don’t we have humanoids sitting in our restaurants yet?

Here are some pics of my mobile robot prototype built at Hexagram. It uses 2 ultrasonic range finders and an IR sensor to navigate space (control 2 planetary gear motors via 2 MD03 motor controllers via an Arduino + code). I also started an IR homing system (like a remote control); an IR transimitter, receivers and a battery level monitoring circuit. The plan is that when the battery is low No.1 will go to the recharge station or in this case the IR transmitter. It kinda worked but the range of the IR is limited and i need better knowledge of C++ for precise navigation. No.1 is a tuff little critter that can push about wheeled bins and light chairs.